System and method for automatic registration notification for over-the-air activation

ABSTRACT

A method and system automatically activates a mobile station in a wireless communications network. The system includes an over the air activation function (OTAF) processor in the network that initiates an activation process in response to receiving a registration message from a mobile switching center serving the mobile station requesting the activation. Each mobile station has a unit of information stored into it at the time of its manufacture to enable it to request over the air activation. That unit of information is either the network routing address of the OTAF processor, or alternately, it is a value that is translatable into that address, either an OTAF ID number that is the same value for every mobile station or it is a sequentially serialized dummy value for the mobile identification number (a dummy MIN).

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/363,533, filed Jan. 30, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,301,140, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/802,492, filed Mar.16, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,613,456, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 09/896,481, filed Jun. 29, 2001, now U.S.Pat. No. 6,915,132, which is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/702,163, filed Oct. 30, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,421,which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/679,890,filed Jul. 15, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,188,899, all of which areherein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention broadly relates to over-the-air activation of mobilewireless telephones and more particularly relates to a method andapparatus for providing routing information to send a registrationnotification from a mobile switching center to an over-the-airactivation processor in the fixed supporting network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The term “mobile station”, as used herein, includes a comprehensive setof mobile telecommunications units that share the common property ofcommunicating information with a base station in a network by means ofelectromagnetic waves. Mobile stations include mobile telephone devicessuch as mobile wireless telephone sets and cellular telephone sets thatare primarily designed to exchange voice information with a basestation. The term also includes mobile data communications devices suchas pagers, mobile facsimile machines, and global positioning system(GPS) vehicle locator devices that are primarily designed to exchangedata. The term “mobile station” also includes hybrid devices such aspersonal communications services (PCS) units, that have both telephonyand facsimile communications features. Communications by mobile stationscan be by radio waves, such as are used in cellular radio telephony.However, mobile stations can also communicate over electromagnetic linksthat include Earth-orbiting satellites, or alternate electromagneticlinks that include optical or infra-red radiation.

Where the base station is connected in a fixed supporting network toother communications nodes, the network requires routing information forthe mobile station to enable the other communications nodes to sendinformation to the mobile station. Registration is the process used by amobile station to announce its current location and to enable the fixedsupporting network to direct incoming calls to the appropriate basestation. When a mobile station is brought into the operating range of anew base-station, the mobile station must announce its current location.In order to accomplish this, the mobile station must send a message withits mobile identity number (MIN) to the new base station. The MIN is anumber assigned to the mobile station by the fixed supporting network toenable billing the customer for services and to enable the network toroute incoming calls. The MIN must be programmed into the mobile stationprior to the first time that the unit is used by the customer. Thisprocess is called activation.

For example, normally, a mobile wireless telephone set may not initiateor complete radio telephone calls until it is registered with andauthorized for service by a service provider. Mobile wireless telephoneservice providers require that any new customer take the mobile wirelesstelephone set to an authorized service center for programming so thatthe telephone set becomes authorized for service in the network.Information must be entered and stored into the mobile wirelesstelephone set which is specific to the mobile subscriber and specific tothe desired service for the set. In cellular mobile telephonecommunication services, for example, such information is referred to asnumber assignment module (NAM) designation parameters. Examples of NAMparameters that the cellular telephone service provider now manuallyenters into the cellular telephone set include system identification,telephone number, access overhead class, group identification, initialpaging channel, security lock code, local use flag, A/B systemselection, and MIN mark flag. The cellular telephone customer mustpresent the new cellular telephone set to the service provider or arepresentative so that the NAM module, which constitutes approximately30 bytes of information, can be manually entered into the cellulartelephone set. There are millions of new customers each year forcellular mobile telephone communication services. Hundreds of employeesof the service provider or representative, located over a widegeographic area, are responsible for manually entering the NAM moduleinto unprogrammed cellular telephone sets for the new customers. Thisnecessitates the use of a centralized data base to assist the serviceprovider in coordinating the activation process. The service provider'semployee typically uses a workstation computer to enter the customer'sapplication data. The workstation is remotely connected to the centraldata base and sends the new customer's application data to the data basefor processing. The centralized data base may perform a credit check onthe new customer, may keep track of available services, telephonenumbers, network access data, and other information, and then assignsthe MIN to the new customer's cellular telephone set. The MIN and otherNAM parameters are transmitted by the centralized data base back to theservice provider's workstation for manual entry by the employee into thecellular telephone set. This presents a cumbersome and costly procedureboth to the customer as well as to the service provider.

Thus, there exists a need for a method and system to automatically routeactivation information sent over-the-air from the mobile wirelesstelephone set, through the fixed supporting network to an over-the-airactivation processor in the network, where the activation parameters forthe NAM module can be prepared and automatically downloaded over thenetwork and sent over-the-air to the mobile wireless cellular telephoneset.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The need discussed above is satisfied by the invention, which enables anover-the-air activation message to be automatically sent from anunprogrammed mobile station to an over-the-air activation processor inthe fixed supporting network. The activation message has the format ofan ordinary registration message, but it is distinguished at the mobileswitching center by including distinctive information that istranslatable into the network address of the over-the-air activationprocessor. The electronic serial number of the mobile station isrecorded in the visitor location register associated with the mobileswitching center, and the activation message is directed by the mobileswitching center to a signal transfer point in the fixed supportingnetwork. The signal transfer point translates the distinctiveinformation of the activation message into the network address of theprocessor. By contrast, ordinary registration messages would be directedby the mobile switching center to the home location register for themobile station. From the signal transfer point, the activation messageis routed, along with the identity of the mobile switching center, tothe over-the-air activation processor. There the activation process isinitiated in response to the received activation message. Theover-the-air activation processor then transmits the activationparameters back to the mobile switching center, which then forwards themback to the mobile station, using the electronic serial number stored inthe associated visitor location register.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the distinctiveinformation in the activation message is an over-the-air activationfunction ID number that is the same for every mobile station. Theover-the-air activation function ID number is programmed into the mobilestation at the time of its manufacture. During the translation by thesignal transfer point, the single valued over-the-air activationfunction ID number is translated into the network address of theover-the-air activation processor. In an alternate embodiment of theinvention, the distinctive information in the activation message is therouting address, itself, of the over-the-air activation processor.

In another alternate embodiment of the invention, the distinctiveinformation in the activation message is a sequentially serialized dummyvalue for the mobile identification number, abbreviated as “dummy MIN.”A dummy MIN is different for each mobile station. The dummy MIN isprogrammed into the mobile station at the time of its manufacture.During the translation by the signal transfer point, each distinctivedummy MIN is translated into the network address of the over-the-airactivation processor. Since there is a small likelihood that a dummy MINwill be confused as a valid MS by the signal transfer point, thisembodiment is less advantageous than the embodiment where thedistinctive information in the activation message is an over-the-airactivation function ID number.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description taken together with thedrawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a network reference model, in accordance with theinvention.

FIG. 2 illustrates the physical architecture of the over-the-airactivation network.

FIG. 3 illustrates the information flow for over-the-air activationregistration, in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 4A is a flow diagram of the method for an advantageous embodimentof the invention for over-the-air activation using the OTAF ID number.

FIG. 4B is a variation of the flow diagram of FIG. 4A, adding steps toprovide a simultaneous voice path over-the-air to the carrier's businessoffice.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of the method for an alternate embodiment ofthe invention where a sequentially serialized dummy MIN is used in theover-the-air activation process.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating the method of the invention for apreviously activated mobile station which seeks registration in a newservice area.

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram of a network signal transfer point,in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 8A is a functional block diagram of a mobile station.

FIG. 8B illustrates plurality of mobile stations, each with the sameOTAF ID number store therein.

FIG. 8C illustrates plurality of mobile stations, each with a differentdummy MIN stored therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention is a method and system for activating a mobile station ina wireless communications network. The system includes an over the airactivation processor in the network that initiates an activation processin response to receiving a registration message from a mobile switchingcenter serving the mobile station requesting the activation. Thisactivation process is referred to, herein as the “OTAF”, which is anabbreviation for “over the air activation function.”

Each mobile station has a unit of information stored into it at the timeof its manufacture to enable it to request over the air activation. Thatunit of information is either the network routing address of the OTAFprocessor, or alternately, it is a value that is translatable into thataddress. There are two alternatives for expressing the value that istranslatable into the routing address of the OTAF processor. The firstalternative is an OTAF ID number that is stored in each mobile station.The same value of the OTAF ID number is stored in every mobile station.The second alternative is to store a sequentially serialized dummy valuefor the mobile identification number or dummy MIN. The dummy MIN isdifferent for each mobile station.

When the mobile station is turned on for the first time in the network,it cannot conduct a normal communications session with other subscriberunits because it has not been activated in the network. In accordancewith the invention, the mobile station requests activation over the airby transmitting to the local mobile switching center a registrationorder. The registration order will include one of the three alternativesdescribed above, either the routing address of the OTAF processor, orthe OTAF ID number, or a dummy MIN.

The local mobile switching center receives registration orders frompreviously activated mobile stations, as well as from new mobilestations. If a previously activated mobile station is moved into thecoverage area of a local mobile switching center, the mobile stationmust become registered in the new area before it can conduct normalcommunications sessions. A previously activated mobile station will havea valid MIN which it sends in the registration order transmitted to thelocal mobile switching center. The valid MIN is not distinguished by themobile switching center from a dummy MIN. In both cases, the mobileswitching center prepares a registration notification message containingthe MIN and forwards it to the signal transfer point (STP) in thenetwork.

In accordance with the invention, the translation tables in the signaltransfer point (STP) are constructed to map all dummy MINs to thenetwork routing address of the OTAF processor. There, the activationprocess is initiated for the requesting mobile station in response tothe OTAF processor receiving the registration notification message. Arecord is created in the visitor location register (VLR) at the mobileswitching center, to enable the activation parameters resulting from theactivation process to be sent back to the mobile station, using thedummy MIN value.

Instead, if the MIN in the registration notification message received bythe signal transfer point (STP) is a valid MIN, the translation tablemaps the registration notification message to the network routingaddress of the home location register (HLR) that is responsible forhandling the registration request from its assigned mobile station. Thisrequest is only for the registration of a previously programmed phone inthe new local service area, not for the activation of a new phone.

Further in accordance with the invention, the mobile switching center isable to recognize and distinguish a registration order from a mobilestation using the OTAF ID number to request activation. In this case,the mobile switching center inserts the OTAF ID number into theregistration notification message it prepares for sending to the signaltransfer point (STP). Since the OTAF ID number is the same for everymobile station, the electronic serial number (ESN) of the mobilestation, that is sent with every registration order, is also included inthe registration notification message sent to the signal transfer point.A record is created in the visitor location register (VLR) at the mobileswitching center, to enable the activation parameters resulting from theactivation process to be sent back to the mobile station using the ESN.

In accordance with the invention, the translation tables in the signaltransfer point (STP) are constructed to map the OTAF ID number to therouting address of the OTAF processor. There, the activation process isinitiated for the requesting mobile station in response to the OTAFprocessor receiving the registration notification message.

In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the unit of informationstored in the mobile station at the time of its manufacture to enable itto request over the air activation is the network routing address,itself, of the OTAF processor. In this embodiment, there is no need foran address translation by the signal transfer point (STP). In thisembodiment, the mobile switching center forwards the registrationnotification message directly to the OTAF processor. The identity of themobile switching center and the ESN of the mobile station is included inthe registration notification message. A record is created in thevisitor location register (VLR) at the mobile switching center, toenable the activation parameters resulting from the activation processto be sent back to the mobile station using the ESN.

Further in accordance with the invention, the subscriber of the mobilestation can place a simultaneous voice call to an activation center inthe network using the mobile station. The subscriber can provide to theactivation center credit information and the subscriber can specify thetypes of service features wanted for the mobile station. The activationcenter then sends authorization data to the OTAF processor in responseto the information received from the subscriber over the voice channel.The OTAF processor can then complete the activation process in responseto the authorization data.

Turning now to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a network reference model forthe over-the-air activation function that controls delivery of theover-the-air activation messages to the mobile station. The mobilestation 100 includes the mobile station (MS) and the short messageentity (SME). The mobile station 100 communicates over-the-air with thebase mobile station interworking function (BMI) which includes the basestation BS 102, the mobile switching center MSC 104, and the visitorlocation register VLR 106. The base station, BS, is connected by meansof the link A to the mobile switching center, MSC, which in turn isconnected by means of the link B to the visitor location register, VLR.Also shown in FIG. 1 is the home location register, HLR 108, which isassigned to handle the maintenance of location and business records forthe specific mobile telephone 100. The home location register 108 istypically located at a geographically remote location from the BMIcurrently servicing over-the-air communications with the mobile station100. The HLR is connected by means of the link D to the VLR 106. Alsoshown in FIG. 1 is the over-the-air activation function OTAF 110′ whichis connected by means of a link Q2 to the mobile switching center 104and is also connected by means of the link D2 to the home locationregister 108. The. OTAF function 110′ performs activation processing inresponse to a registration order from the mobile station 100 which hasnot previously been activated, and downloads activation parameters inthe form of NAM parameters to the mobile station 100. The links A, B, D,D2, Q2, and UM shown in FIG. 1 are interfaces between network entities,as defined in the standard TIA IS-41, revision C ANSI ballot version,Jan. 3, 1996.

FIG. 2 illustrates the over-the-air activation physical architecture.The mobile station 100 communicates over-the-air with the local basestation 102, using the IS-136 standard. This standard is documented inTIA IS-136 Revision A, Mar. 21, 1996. The base station 102, the mobileswitching center 104, and the visitor location register 106, aretypically co-located at a local base station complex. The MSC 104communicates over the fixed supporting network to the signal transferpoint, STP 114, which in turn will forward messages from the MSC 104 toeither the home location register, HLR 108, or alternately to theover-the-air activation function processor, OTAF processor 10. The VLR106 at the base station complex can also directly access a particularHLR 108 in the fixed supporting network. Also shown in FIG. 2 is anactivation center 112 which includes business systems and billingsystems which are connected in the fixed supporting network to the OTAFprocessor 110 and to the HLR 108.

The over-the-air activation feature requires a notification be sent fromthe MSC 104 to the OTAF processor 110. This registration notification isvia an IS-41 message on the Signaling System 7 (SS7) network. The fixedsupporting network requires routing information to be able to send theregistration notification from the MSC 104 to the proper network node,which in this case is the OTAF processor 110. In accordance with theinvention, the mobile stations 100 are pre-programmed with informationat the time of their manufacture to be able to request over-the-airactivation. The unit of programmed information is either the networkrouting address of the OTAF processor 110 or alternately it is a valuethat is translatable into that address. When the unactivated mobilestation 100 powers up in the network, the mobile station requestsactivation over-the-air by transmitting to the local mobile switchingcenter 104 a registration order that includes one of the threealternatives for pre-programmed information, either the routing addressof the OTAF processor 110, or the OTAF ID number, or a dummy MIN value.The MSC 104 then forwards this information through the network to theover-the-air activation function processor 110.

In a previously activated mobile station 100, that is a mobile station100 that has been programmed with a valid mobile identification numberMIN, the registration order transmitted over-the-air contains the mobilestation's MIN, encoded in an IS-136 mobile station ID (MSID). (See thestandard TIA IS-136 revision A, Mar. 21, 1996). The IS-136 standardspecifies rules for encoding the MIN into the MSID. The MSID is sent inlayer 2 of the registration order which is described in the IS-41standard. Typically this operation takes place for a previouslyactivated mobile station 100 which is moved into the coverage area ofthe local mobile switching center 104 and must become registered in thenew area before it can conduct normal communication sessions. Theregistration notification is carried in the mobile application part(MAP) layer of the SS7 transport, as is specified in the IS-41 standard.

Cellular telephone networks use the global title translation (GTT) onthe MIN at the signal transfer point 114 in a fixed supporting network,to route IS-41 messages to the home location register, HLR 108, innormal communications sessions. Global title translation (GTT) isdescribed in the standard ANSI T1.112-1992, SS7, Signalling ConnectionControl Part (SCCP). The global title indicator type 2 is used, with atranslation type value of 3 to specify the “MIN to HLR” translation inthe STP 114. The global title address information field contains the tendigit MIN (BCD encoded). For Example, the MSC 104 and the VLR 106 willsend the registration notification to the signal transfer point 114,which performs the GTT translation on the MN to obtain routinginformation in the form of a point code and subsystem number in thefixed supporting network, to the HLR 108. Thus, in normal communicationssessions, the registration notification is routed from the MSC 104 andVLR 106 to the HLR 108 which is responsible for the specified MN fromthe requesting mobile station 100.

When a mobile station 100 has not previously been activated, the NAMparameters have not been loaded to the mobile station and there is nocorresponding HLR record in any HLR 108 the fixed supporting network forthat mobile station. The unactivated mobile station 100 does not have avalid MIN stored in it. If the unactivated mobile station attempts 100registration, there is no corresponding HLR 108 associated with thatmobile station. Since there is no valid MIN in the mobile station 100,the global title translation cannot be performed in the signal transferpoint 114 in the fixed supporting network. This would normally preventover-the-air activation since it would not be possible in the prior artto communicate over-the-air activation requests from the mobile station100 to an OTAF processor 110 in the fixed supporting network.Correspondingly, it would not be possible download NAM activationparameters from the OTAF processor 110 to the mobile station 100. Duringthe over-the-air activation process, the OTAF processor 110 must deliverthe NAM parameters to the mobile station 100. In order to do this, theover-the-air activation function processor 110 must have an address ofthe serving MSC 104 plus the mobile station must have registrationinformation in the VLR 106 of the serving MSC 104. In accordance withthe invention, mobile stations 100 will be pre-programmed withinformation at the time of their manufacture to enable them to requestover-the-air activation. That unit of information is either the networkrouting address of the OTAF processor 110, or alternately it is a valuethat is translatable into that address. There are two alternatives forexpressing the value that is translatable into the routing address tothe OTAF processor 110, the first being an OTAF ID number that is storedin each mobile station 100. The same value of the OTAF ID number isstored in every mobile station 100. The second alternative is to store asequentially serialized dummy value for the mobile identificationnumber, called a dummy MIN. The dummy MIN is different for each mobilestation 100.

In the advantageous embodiment of the invention, an OTAF ID number isstored in each mobile station 100. The OTAF ID number is a ten digitE.164 telephony number, using BCD encoding. The format follows standardIS-41 digit encoding (such as used in the IS-41 Sender IdentificationNumber). This standard format is described further in the CCITT BlueBook, Volume II-Fascicle II.2, Telephone Network and ISDN—OperationNumbering, Routing and Mobile Service, Recommendation E.164; NumberingPlan for the ISDN Era. The OTAF ID number is an address which appears asa directory number for the OTAF processor 110, but is used only forrouting and is a non-dialable number not supporting voice circuits. Theregistration order in the IS-136 standard is modified to carry the OTAFID number in the air interface message. In addition, the mobile station100 must supply an MSID value in the message to uniquely identify themobile station sending the message. This MSID value is constructed usingthe electronic serial number (ESN) of the mobile station 100, as isspecified in the IS-136 standard. This standard specifies how and MSIDis to be constructed if a mobile station does not have a valid MIN.

Upon receipt of the air interface registration order, the MSC 104 andVLR 106 construct an IS-41 registration notification message using theinformation supplied in the air interface registration order from themobile station 100. The MSC 104 recognizes that the mobile station 100supplied an OTAF ID number, and thus the MIN field is not populated inthe registration notification message. The OTAF ID number is included inthe Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) layer of the mobileapplication part (MAP) of the IS-41 message. The SCCP layer is describedin the published standard ANSI T1.112 Signalling System No. 7(SS7)—Signalling Connection Control Point (SCCP). The MSC 104 and VLR106 then send the registration notification message to the signaltransfer point 114 in the fixed supporting network. The VLR 106 alsocreates a record of the mobile station 100 using the ESN and the MSIDfor the mobile station 100.

The STP 114 receives the registration notification message andrecognizes that it is to perform the global title translation (GTT) onthe OTAF ID number, in order to get the fixed supporting network addressof the OTAF processor 110. A new translation type has to be used for the“OTAF ID number to OTAF processor” translation. The STP 114 translatesthe OTAF ID number into the routing address information (PC/SSN) for theOTAF processor 110 in the fixed supporting network, and a registrationnotification message is forwarded to the OTAF processor 110.

This routing mechanism, in accordance with the invention, allows forrouting a registration notification message without the need to have amobile identification number MIN preprogrammed into the mobile station100.

The information flow diagram of FIG. 3 illustrates the over-the-airactivation registration flow for activation registration using theglobal title translation on the OTAF ID number. The figure is organizedwith the vertical axis representing time and the horizontal axisrepresenting messages passing between the mobile station 100 (labeledMS), the mobile switching center 104 (labeled MSC), the signal transferpoint 114 (labeled STP), and the OTAF processor 110 (labeled OTAF). Whena subscriber powers up a mobile station MS, the mobile station engagesin an acquisition phase to obtain a channel assignment from the basestation, which is identified in the FIG. 3 as system overhead. Then themobile station MS sends an IS-136 registration order (message A) to theMSC 104 containing the OTAF ID number (designated OTAF ID in FIG. 3).

Then the MSC 104 receives the registration order (message A) from theair interface and it formats an IS-41 registration notification (messageB) identified as “REGNOT” in FIG. 3. The MSC 104 sends the REGNOT to theSTP 114 for routing.

Then the STP 114 performs a global title translation on the OTAF IDnumber (OTAF ID) and routes the REGNOT (message C) to the OTAF processor110.

The OTAF processor 110 processes the REGNOT and returns a REGNOT returnresult (message D) to the MSC 104.

FIG. 3 also shows an MS originate attempt where the mobile station MSattempts to originate a voice connection to the fixed supportingnetwork. The simultaneous voice origination attempt and registrationorder will take place in the four step sequence of messages E, F, G, andH shown in FIG. 3, which is the same as the four step sequence ofmessages A, B, C, and D previously described for FIG. 3.

FIG. 4A illustrates a flow diagram of a sequence of operational stepsfor carrying out over-the-air activation using an OTAF ID number. Step402 begins by programming the over-the-air function ID number into a newmobile station 100 at the time of manufacture.

Step 404 in FIG. 4A has the mobile station 100 turn on the unit's powerfor the first time in the network. Then in step 406, mobile station 100prepares the registration order message to include the OTAF ID numberand the ESN. Then in step 408, the mobile station 100 transmits station100 a registration order over-the-air to the base station and the mobileswitching center.

In step 410 of FIG. 4A, the mobile switching center 104 detects the OTAFID number and inserts it into the registration notification messagealong with the ESN, which it then sends to the STP 114 in the SS7network. The MSC 104 also puts the ESN into a VLR record in the VLR 106.

Then step 412 of FIG. 4A has the STP 114 translate the OTAF ID numberinto a routing address to the OTAF processor 110. The STP sends theregistration notification message to the OTAF processor 110 in thenetwork.

In step 414 of FIG. 4A has the OTAF processor 110 initiate theactivation process for the mobile station 100. In step 416, the OTAFprocessor 110 sends the activation parameters in the form of the NAMparameters, for the mobile station, back to the mobile switching center104.

Then step 418 of FIG. 4A has the mobile switching center 104 and basestation 102 transmit the activation parameters over-the-air to themobile station 100 using the VLR record in the VLR 106 to identify whichmobile station 100 is intended to receive the activation parameters.

FIG. 4B illustrates a flow diagram of a variation in the method shown inFIG. 4A, wherein step 414′ has the OTAF processor 110 initiate theactivation process for the mobile station 100 and then wait forauthorization from the business office activation center 112, shown inFIG. 2.

Step 415 of FIG. 4B has a voice path established over-the-air by themobile station subscriber. The mobile station subscriber places asimultaneous call over-the-air to the carrier's business officeactivation center 112, using a special dialed number such as“1-800-ACTIVATE”. The subscriber can provide to the business officeactivation center 112 credit information and the subscriber can specifythe types of service features wanted for the mobile service. Thebusiness office activation center 112 then sends authorization data tothe OTAF processor 110.

Step 416′ of FIG. 4B then has the OTAF processor 110 complete theactivation process and send the activation parameters for the mobilestation back to the mobile switching center 104. Then step 418 of FIG.4B has the mobile switching center 104 and base station 102 transmit theactivation parameters over-the-air to the mobile station 100.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of a sequence of operational steps foran alternate embodiment of the invention, wherein each new mobilestation 100 is programmed at the time of manufacture with a sequentiallyserialized dummy MIN mobile ID number. This is shown in step 502 of FIG.5. Step 504 has the mobile station 100 turn the unit's power for thefirst time in the network. Step 506 has a mobile station 100 prepareregistration order message to include the dummy MIN. Step 508 has themobile station 100 transmit the registration order over-the-air to thebase station and mobile switching center 104.

Step 510 of FIG. 5 has the MSC 104 prepare registration notificationmessage with the dummy MIN. This operation is the same as if the mobilestation 100 were requesting a normal registration for a previouslyactivated mobile station, the mobile switching center 104 being unableto distinguish between a dummy MIN and a valid MIN. The mobile switchingcenter 104 then sends the registration notification message to the STP114 in the SS7 network. The MSC 104 puts the dummy MIN into a VLR recordin the VLR 106. In step 512, the STP 114 translates all dummy MINs intothe routing address of the OTAF processor 110. All of the plurality ofsequentially serialized dummy MIN values are translated by the STP 114into a single OTAF processor address in the fixed supporting network.Then the STP 114 sends the registration notification message to the OTAFprocessor 110.

Then step 514 of FIG. 5 has the OTAF processor 110 initiate theactivation process for the mobile station 100. In step 516, the OTAFprocessor 110 sends the activation parameters for the mobile stationback to the MSC 104.

Then in step 518 of FIG. 5, the MSC 104 and base station 102 transmitthe activation parameters over-the-air to the mobile station 100 usingthe VLR record in VLR 106 to identify with the dummy MIN which mobilestation 100 is the intended recipient for the activation parameters.

FIG. 6 is flow diagram of the sequence of operational steps for apreviously activated mobile station 100 having a valid MIN, which seeksregistration in a new service area.

In step 602, the previously activated mobile station 100 seeksregistration in the new services area. In step 604, the mobile station100 turns on the unit's power in the network. In step 606 the mobilestation 100 prepares a registration order message to include the validmobile identification number (MIN). In step 608, the mobile station 100transmits the registration order over-the-air to the base station 102and MSC 104. In step 610, the MSC 104 prepares the registrationnotification message with the valid MIN and sends it to the STP 114 inthe SS7 network. The MSC also puts the valid MIN in a VLR record in VLR106. In step 612, the STP 114 translates the valid MIN into the routingaddress of the HLR 108 assigned to the mobile station 100. The STP 114sends the registration notification message to the HLR 108. In step 614,the HLR 108 initiates the registration process for the mobile stationfor the new service area. In step 616, the HLR 108 sends the newregistration information for MS 100 back to the MSC 104. In step 618,the VLR 106 updates the new registration information and begins localservice to the mobile station 100 using the VLR record.

FIG. 7 illustrates the STP 114 and its translation table 700 and showshow a plurality of dummy MINs having different, sequentially serializedvalues, are translated in translation 702 into a single OTAF address.FIG. 7 shows several example translations of input expressions in thedialed number format to output Signaling System 7 (SS7) networkaddresses. For example, the dialed number “911” input to the translationtable 700, is translated into the SS7 network address of emergencyservices. As another example, the dialed number “1-800-ACTIVATE” inputto the translation table 700, is translated, into the SS7 networkaddress of the business office activation center 112 shown in FIG. 2. Asanother example, the dialed number format for the valid MIN “VALIDMIN-5” input to the translation table 700, is translated into the SS7network address of the HLR-5 home location register for that MIN. Asanother example, the dialed number format for the valid MIN “VALIDMIN-6” input to the translation table 700, is translated into the SS7network address of the different HLR-6 home location register for thatdifferent valid MIN. In accordance with the invention, all of the dummyMINs are translated by the translation 702 in the translation table 700into the network address of the OTAF processor 110. Still further inaccordance with the invention, the OTAF ID number is translated by thetranslation table 700 into the SS7 network address of the OTAF processor110.

FIG. 8A shows a schematic diagram of a mobile station 100 with apreprogrammed OTAF ID number 810 or alternately with a pre-programmeddummy MIN 832. Mobile station 100 includes RF transmit and receivecircuits, digital circuits, and voice circuits. Mobile station 100 alsoincludes the RAM memory 806 which stores the NAM parameters in the NAMregister after they are downloaded over the air from the OTAF processor110. Mobile station 100 also includes the programmable read only memory(ROM) 808 that is programmed at the time of manufacture with the ESN andwith the OTAF ID number 810. In the alternate embodiment of theinvention, mobile station 100 alternately includes the programmable ROM830 (shown in dotted outline in FIG. 8A) that is programmed at the timeof manufacture with the ESN and with a sequentially serialized dummy MIN832.

FIG. 8B shows how a plurality of mobile stations 100, 100′, and 100″ areall preprogrammed with the identical OTAF ID number 810, in theadvantageous embodiment.

FIG. 8C shows how a plurality of mobile stations 100, 100′, and 100″ inthe alternate embodiment, are preprogrammed with mutually differentdummy MIN values 832, 832′, and 832″.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method far activating a mobile station in awireless communications network comprising: receiving at a network nodea registration message including information translatable into anaddress for an over the air activation processor, wherein the networknode receives a plurality of the registration messages from a pluralityof mobile stations, each of the plurality of registration messagesincluding the same information translatable into the address, whereinthe information translatable into the address is an over the airactivation function identification number; translating the informationinto the address; routing the registration message to the over the airactivation processor; initiating an activation process at the over theair activation processor in response to the received registrationmessage; and transmitting activation parameters to the mobile station inresponse to the activation process.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: establishing a voice channel between the mobile station andan activation center; sending authorization data from the activationcenter to the over the air activation processor in response toinformation received from the voice channel; and completing theactivation process in response to the authorization data.
 3. A systemfor activating a mobile station in a wireless communications network,comprising: an over the air activation processor in a network; a mobileswitching center at a node in the network, the mobile switching centerfor receiving a registration message including information translatableinto an address for the over the air activation processor, wherein themobile switching center is further for receiving a plurality ofregistration messages from a plurality of mobile stations, each of theplurality of registration messages including the same informationtranslatable into the address, wherein the information translatable intothe address is an over the air activation function identificationnumber; and a signal transfer point coupled to the mobile switchingcenter in the network, the signal transfer point for translating theinformation into the address wherein the signal transfer point isfurther for routing the registration message to the over the airactivation processor in the network; wherein the over the air activationprocessor is for initiating an activation process in response to theregistration message that is received and causing transmission ofparameters to the mobile station.
 4. The system of claim 3, furthercomprising: an activation center in the network having a voice channelestablished with the mobile station; wherein the activation center isfor sending authorization data to the over the air activation processorin response to information received from the voice channel; and whereinthe over the air activation processor is further for completing theactivation process in response to the authorization data.